Lint filter for a clothes washing machine



Dec. 15, 1959 A. H. GERHARDT ETAL LINT FILTER FOR A CLOTHES WASHINGMACHINE Filed March 24. 1958 claimed for carrying United States PatentLINT FILTER FOR A CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Andrew H. Gerhardt and CharlesR. Waldrop, Herrin, Ill., assignors to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago,111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 24, 1958, Serial No.723,524 6 Claims. (Cl. 68-18) The present invention relates to clotheswashing machines and more particularly to means for recirculating andfiltering the water of a clothes washing machine.

Automatic clothes washing machines with which the present invention isasociated comprise a cylindrical tub containing a cylindrical cup-shapedbasket having an oscillatable agitator therein. The agitator isoscillated during the wash cycle of the machine and the basket isrotated at high speeds to extract the water from the clothes. Clothesare inserted into the basket and the basket is filled to the desiredwater level, after which the agitator is vigorously oscillated toprovidethe washing action. As the washingoperation proceeds, lint and scumaccumulate in the wash water and unless removed therefrom, will adhereto theiclothes during the extraction cycle.

Various systems have been employed for removing the lint and scum fromthe wash Water, including overflowing the basket to wash the lint andscum down the drain. Other systems employ various methods ofrecirculation and filtering of the water in the basket of the machine.Most of these methods overflow water from the basket into the tub andpump the overflowed water back into the basket through some sort offilter. There are several disadvantages to such a recirculating system,however, in that some of the scum and filth that is present in the tubfrom the previous washing operation is circulated into the basket offresh wash water when the washing cycle begins. feature of such a systemis the cost requirement.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a filter system fora clothes washing machine which does not have the aforementionedundesirable characteristics of the prior recirculating systems.

The present system involves the use of the oscillating agitator toprovide a recirculation of the fluid within the basket and a filterdisposed on or about the top of the agitator in the path of therecirculated water to remove the lint and south from the water.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements anddevices to be hereinafter described and out the above stated objects andsuch other objects as will appear from the following description of thepreferred embodiment of the invention illustrated with reference to theaccompanying drawings Fig. l is a cross-sectional View of a washingmachine Another undesirable I having a new and improved agitator with afilter therein;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the agitator;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the agitator partially broken away to showstructural details of the agitator; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section view taken on line 44 of Fig.2.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is disclosed a washing machine of the typedisclosed in Gerhardt et al., Patent No. 2,807,951, October 1, 1957, andcomprising a casing 10, an imperforate tub 11, and a vertically disposedimperforate wash basket 12. The basket 12 has disposed therein anagitator 13 which is oscillated by a conventional driving means. Wateris supplied to the basket 12 by the water suply means 14 and access isprovided to the basket 12 by means of a hinged door 15.

The agitator 13 comprises an upstanding hollow post portion 16 forreceiving the usual oscillated drive shaft 17, a radially spaced wall 18having a vertical upstanding portion 19 with a plurality of openings 20therein, and a downwardly and outwardly flaring base portion 21.Disposed about the outer surface and extending outwardly from theflaring base portion 21 are a plurality of vanes 22 for causing waterturbulence within the basket 12 when the agitator is oscillated.Disposed about the inner surface and extending outwardly tosubstantially the periphery of the flaring base 21 are a plurality ofvanes 23. A conical shaped, imperforate plate 24 is suitably secured tothe post 16 by means of a plurality of screws 25. The plate 24 nestsagainst the bottom edges of the vanes 23 thereby defining a plurality ofspaces 26 in the base of the agitator. A plurality of openings 27 in theagitator 13 provide fluid communication between the radial space definedby the post 16 and the wall 19, and the spaces 26.

An annular filter, designated generally by the reference numeral 28, isdisposed in the agitator 13 in the radial space between the post 16 andthe wall 19. The filter comprises spaced annular walls 30 and 31 joinedby means of a transverse wall 32. The wall 32 has a depending wall 33defining a space or pocket 34. A plurality of openings 35 are providedin the transverse wall 32 for the passage for water. A U-shaped screenmember 36 is attached to the walls 30 and 31 near the top thereof. Atube 37 is disposed over the post 16 and provides a support for thefilter 28 and also provides for easy removal of the filter for cleaningpurposes. The tube 37 at its bottom has a peripheral flange 38 adaptedto rest on a projection 40 on the post 16 and to support the filter 28as shown. The tube 37 has a bead 41 at its top and this bead isremovably secured in a groove 42 of a resilient cap 43.

At the beginning of a washing operation, water is admitted to the basket12 through the water supplying means 14 to fill the basket to the waterlevel A shown in Figure 1, and the agitator 13 is oscillated byappropriate driving means.

The oscillation of the agitator induces a circulation of water throughthe openings 20 into the filter member 28, through the openings 35 and27, and through the spaces 26. The water within the basket is thuscontinuously recirculated by means of the pumping action of theoscillated agitator.

Since any scum or lint in the water is of a relatively light weight, itwill be recirculated with the water as it flows through the agitator 13,and the filter member 28 arrests and removes the scum and lint from thecirculating water.

The water level within the basket 12 may vary depending upon theparticular operation being carried out by the washing machine. Forexample, in washing machines having'an imperforate basket as disclosedin Fig. l of the present application, rinsing cycle to add sufiicientwater to the basket to overflow water from the basket. In the presentconstruction, the space 34 provides an air pocket which, when water isadmitted to the basket 12, will provide a floating means for the filtermember 28 and cause the top of the filter member to be above the waterlevel of the basket during non-agitation periods. fill cycle, the filtermember 28 will rise in the agitator 13 as the water level of the basketrises and prevent back flow of water through the screen or filterelement 36..

Without this floating action of the filter member, a re-' it is thepractice during the- Thus, during the overflow rinse.

downward to rest on projection-40, by a vacuum created by the pumping ofwater through the filter by the agitator. The filter will remain in thisposition as long as agitation continues. When the agitation period iscompleted or agitation stops for any reason, the filter will rise untilit is above water level. This prevents the flushing of lint and scumback into the wash basket.

The filter 28 must be periodically removed and cleaned of scum and lint.To remove the filter, the operator merely grasps the knob 43 and liftsupwardly thereby lifting the tube 37, and the filter 28 which issupported thereon.

While we have described our invention in connection with a certainspecific embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that this is by wayof illustration and not by way of limitation and the scope of ourinvention is defined solely by the appended claims which should beconstrued as broadly as the prior art will permit.

We claim:

1. In a clothes washing machine, a clothes receiving basket adapted tobe filled with water to a predetermined level, an agitator disposedwithin said basket, means for oscillating said agitator, means defininga water passage through said agitator whereby wash liquid is circulatedthrough said agitator during the oscillation thereof in the water, afilter member associated with said agitator and disposed within the pathof the circulating water, and float means on said filter member formaintaining said filter member above the water level of said basketduring nonagitation periods.

2. In a clothes washing machine, a clothes receiving basket adapted tobe filled with water to a predetermined level, an agitator disposedwithin said basket, means for oscillating said agitator, means defininga water passage through said agitator whereby wash liquid is circulatedthrough said agitator during the oscillation thereof in the water, afilter member associated with said agitator and disposed within the pathof the circulating water, and float means on said filter member formaintaining said filter member above the water level of said basketduring non-agitation periods, said float means comprising an air pocketin the body of said filter member.

3. In a clothes washing machine, a clothes receiving basket adapted tobe filled with water to a predetermined level, an agitator disposedwithin said basket, means for oscillating said agitator including anupstanding shaft, said agitator comprising a post portion for receivingsaid shaft and a wall radially spaced therefrom and defining a radialspace, said wall terminating in a flaring base, at least one opening insaid wall above said base portion, means defining a water passagethrough said agitator from said radial space through said base portionwhereby wash liquid is circulated through said agitator during theoscillation thereof in the water, an annular filter member slidablydisposed on said agitator post and disposed within said radial space,and float means on said filter member for maintaining said filter memberabove the water level of said basket during non-agitation periods.

4. .In a clothes washing machine,.a.clothes receiving basket adapted tobe filled with water to a predetermined level, an agitator disposedwithin said basket means for oscillating said agitator including anupstanding shaft, said agitator comprising a post portion for receivingsaid Shaft and a wall radially spaced therefrom and defining a radialspace, said wall terminating in a flaring base, at least one openinginsaid wall above said base portion, means defining a water passagethrough said agitator from said radial space through said base portionwhereby wash liquid is circulated through said agitator during theoscillation thereof in the water, an annular filter member slidablydisposed on'said agitator post and disposed within said radial space,float means on said filter member for maintaining said filter memberabove the water level of said basket during non-agitation periods, andmeans for supporting and removing said filter comprising a tube slidablydisposed over said agitator post portion and having its upper endextending to a point adjacent the top of the post and having its lowerend formed to provide.

a seat for said annular member.

5. In a clothes washing machine, an imperforate clothes receiving basketadapted to be filled with water to a predetermined level for a washcycle and adapted to be overflowed during a rinse cycle, an agitatordisposed within said basket, means for oscillating said agitator, meansdefining a water passage through said agitator whereby wash liquid iscirculated through said agitator during the oscillation thereof in thewater, a filter member associated with said agitator and disposed withinthe path of the circulating water, and float means on said filter memberfor maintaining said filter member above the water level of said basketduring said predetermined water level during the non-agitation periods.

6. In a clothes washing machine, an imperforate clothes receiving basketadapted to be filled with water to a predetermined level for a washcycle and adapted to be overflowed during a rinse cycle, an agitatordisposed within said basket, means for'oscillating said agitatorincluding an upstanding shaft, said agitator comprising a post portionfor receiving said shaft and a wall member radially spaced therefrom anddefining a radial space, said wall member terminating in a flaring base,at least one opening in said wall member above said base portion, meansdefining a water passage through said agitator from said radial spacethrough said base portion whereby wash liquid is circulated through saidagitator during the oscillation thereof in the water, an annular filtermember slidably disposed on said agitator post and disposed within saidradial space, and float means on said filter member for maintaining saidfilter member above the water level of said basket during saidpredetermined water level during non-agitation periods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,481,979 Colley Sept. 13, 1949 2,498,894 McCormick Feb. 28, 19502,642,733 McCormick June 23, 1953 2,722,118 Guthrie Nov. 1, 19552,744,402 Smith May 8, 1956

